Lyme Light

“Lyme Light” – Lyme Regis on the 21st July 2021

We had a hot, hot week… remember that one? On Wednesday I drove down to Lyme Regis to swim with friends, and even the locals agreed that the water was uncommonly clear.

As a frequent swimmer in the Bristol Channel, being able to see both hands in front of my face counts as uncommonly clear. That the sunlight shimmered and played around out feet was mesmerising.

It was also uncommonly shallow. Swimming at low tide in the Bristol Channel is not a Thing, but down on the south coast, a low tide near the full moon simply revealed more sand, and it was possible to walk all the way to the buoy across a crinkly, wrinkly and coruscated sea bed.

It was the only time I’d felt cool all week, and even though I had to drive back home through 30 degrees in my little Honda Civic with no air con, I swear a tiny part of me stayed chilled until the hot spell broke on Friday.